Nik Bartsch's Ronin Llyria 180g 2LP (Vinyl)

180g Vinyl Double LP Reissue!

The third album from one of the most exciting young European bands, “Llyrìa” follows on from “Stoa” and “Holon,” the recordings that established the Swiss band Ronin on the international scene. Leader Nik Bärtsch’s “modular” pieces still define the context of the group’s music but the committed input of the individual Ronin members has lifted the work to the next level, blurring the distinctions between composition, improvisation and interpretation.

The music has become more open, so much so that Bärtsch’s old buzzwords like “Zen funk” and “ritual groove music” now scarcely apply and even “minimalism” is only a distant reference. Reed player Sha shines brightly here, and lyrical melodic themes make themselves felt, but perhaps this is, more than its predecessors, a drummer’s record, its beats lovingly crafted by Kasper Rast and percussionist Andi Pupato. Recorded in the South of France in March 2010, with Manfred Eicher producing.

"Llyria retains much of the precision of the band's previous output, and yet sounds ever so slightly more human than anything they've done before...it's very much of a piece with Bärtsch's overall musical vision, and longtime listeners will enjoy it as much as new ones." -Phil Freeman, allmusic.com

Features:
• 180g Audiophile High Quality Pressing
• Double LP
• Gatefold Jacket

Musicians:
Nik Bärtsch, piano
Sha, bass clarinet, alto saxophone
Björn Meyer, bass
Kaspar Rast, drums
Andi Pupato, percussion

Selections:
1. Modul 48
2. Modul 52
3. Modul 55
4. Modul 47
5. Modul 53
6. Modul 51
7. Modul 49_44